SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo University volleyball team began the second half of Sunshine State Conference play with a pair of set wins on Friday night. The second set victory for the Green & Gold snapped a 35-set losing streak and pushed the Panthers to five sets. Mia Moser led the defensive effort with on of the top single-match dig totals in the SSC this season with 26 digs, while Brielle Kallberg and Paula Perez Rosales each tallied 11 kills and setter Tajma Muharemovic, ranked seventh in the conference in assists per set, finished with 23 assists and 11 digs.
 
Saint Leo hit .056 as a team with 48 kills and 37 errors on 195 attempts in the five-set thriller. Kallberg paced the Lions with 11 kills and six total blocks, while Perez Rosales matched her with 11 kills and 16 digs. Muharemovic directed the offense with 23 assists and 11 digs for a double-double, while fellow setter Camila Villar added 16 assists and an ace. Moser anchored the back row with a career-high 26 digs, an elite mark that ranks among the top defensive performances in the SSC this year. Anderson, who ranks among the conference's top 10 in aces per set (0.38), contributed defensively along with Chappell, who finished with six kills and 12 digs. Gina Stavile added six kills and six block assists, and Emma LeTourneau chipped in three kills and six total blocks.
 
How It Happened: FLORIDA TECH 3, SAINT LEO 2
Set 1 | Florida Tech 25, Saint Leo 14
Florida Tech opened the match on a strong note, but Saint Leo fought back with kills from Kallberg and Stavile. Muharemovic kept the Lions' offense balanced, and Moser posted several key digs to slow the Panthers' attack before the visitors closed out the first set 25-14.
 
Set 2 | Saint Leo 25, Florida Tech 22
Saint Leo broke through to end its 35-set drought, taking the second set behind a .250 team hitting percentage. Kallberg notched four kills in the frame, and Muharemovic guided the attack with smooth distribution. Perez Rosales and Chappell added clutch points late as Saint Leo secured its first set win since late September.
 
Set 3 | Saint Leo 26, Florida Tech 24
The Lions carried that momentum into the third, rallying late behind their most balanced offensive set of the season. Stavile and Kallberg combined for eight kills, while LeTourneau provided key blocks at the net. Moser continued to shine defensively, keeping multiple long rallies alive before Perez Rosales capped the comeback with the set-winning kill.
 
Set 4 | Florida Tech 25, Saint Leo 17
Florida Tech regained control in the fourth set, using a late surge to even the match. Muharemovic and Moser each delivered service aces to spark short runs, while Chappell added two kills to keep the Lions within striking distance.
 
Set 5 | Florida Tech 15, Saint Leo 6
Playing in their first fifth set of the season, Saint Leo saw Florida Tech jump out to an early lead. Perez Rosales and Kallberg added kills to keep the Lions in it, but the Panthers hit .353 in the frame to hold off the late push and take the match 3-2.

Inside the Numbers

• Saint Leo snapped a 35-set losing streak with wins in sets two and three.
• Mia Moser posted 26 digs—one of the top totals in the SSC this season.
• Tajma Muharemovic, ranked seventh in the SSC in assists per set, finished with 23 assists and 11 digs.
• Kaitlyn Anderson (0.38) and Moser (0.46) both rank in the SSC top 10 for aces per set.
• Brielle Kallberg and Paula Perez Rosales each led with 11 kills.
• Gina Stavile added six kills and six block assists.
• Molly Chappell recorded six kills and 12 digs.
• Emma LeTourneau totaled three kills and six total blocks.
• Saint Leo's best hitting set came in the second at .250 as the Lions forced their first five-set match of the season.

 
UP NEXT
Saint Leo's weekend wraps up hosting the Embry-Riddle Eagles at 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 1.